


Lessons

by Spacecadet72



Series: Some Kind of Wonderful [8]
Category: Knives Out (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacecadet72/pseuds/Spacecadet72
Summary: Marta joins Benoit and Charlotte at a school event.
Relationships: Benoit Blanc/Marta Cabrera
Series: Some Kind of Wonderful [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676956
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	Lessons

**Author's Note:**

> We're getting into the stories now where more time is passing between each story, in some cases months instead of weeks or days. If you're curious, I do have a [timeline](https://bearholdingashark.tumblr.com/post/617605203423903744/i-was-working-on-a-timeline-of-the-single-dad) created for this verse. (It is accidentally missing Are You Going To Kiss Me Or Not? but the dates are all still accurate.)

Benoit picked up his phone and dialed Marta’s number, wondering how this conversation was going to go. She wasn’t likely to say no, and if she did, it didn’t really have to do with him personally. But this still felt like a big step, moving out of the bubble they had created for themselves.

She picked up after the first ring and he could hear the smile in her voice. “Hello, Benoit.”

He found himself smiling in return at the sound of her voice and he felt more confident now that he could hear her.

“Hello, Marta.” He took a seat, making himself comfortable. “I was wondering, were you asked to work the Learning Fest in a couple of weeks?” The school was putting on an event for the end of the year that showcased each student’s academic progress. Charlotte would have several pieces of work to show him, along with a science fair project she had been working on.

“I’m not working that night,” she said, her tone turning both knowing and hopeful. She always could see right through him.

“In that case, would you like to attend with Charlotte and me?” Here was the risk. They weren't hiding their relationship by any means, and it wouldn’t be the first time she had spent with him and Charlotte. This was her workplace, however, and could potentially make things awkward for her.

“I would love to,” she said, sounding delighted.

“I wasn’t sure if it might not cause you problems, being your workplace,” he admitted.

“There are no rules against it, and I think most of the people I work with on a daily basis already know.”

He smiled as he remembered her story of how Fran had reacted when Marta told her the news.

"We'll pick you up a little before the event then?" he asked, almost wishing it wasn't two weeks away.

"That sounds perfect."

"I also wanted to call to see what you wanted for dinner tonight," he said, smiling at the fact that he got to have dinner with her more nights than not. He could have just waited to ask about the Learning Fest at dinner, but didn’t want Charlotte around if she was going to say no.

"Surprise me," she said, and he could exactly picture her impish smile.

He laughed, already thinking of what he could cook for her and Charlotte, ideas floating through his mind. He was looking forward to tonight, as he always did when they were able to spend time together, even as he was already talking to her. Over the phone just wasn't the same as being with her in the same room and seeing her smile and being able to hold her hand.

He was excited at the thought of being with her at an event with people they both knew, of going as a team, as a family.

* * *

The night of the event came more quickly than he had anticipated. He was helping Charlotte with her hair and they were running behind.

"Do you think Marta will like my dress?" Charlotte asked, as she moved back and forth so her skirt would swish along with her.

Benoit paused in the french braid he was plaiting to look down at her dress. It was red with white polka dots. Usually set aside for more festive occasions, Charlotte had chosen it as her outfit for the Learning Fest weeks ago.

"I am sure she'll love it, you look very nice," he said with a smile. "Now, hold still, I am almost done."

Minutes later, her hair was braided and shoes and coats were on.

"Ready?" he asked, feeling almost like he was more asking for himself than for Charlotte.

Charlotte nodded and reached out for his hand. He took it with a smile. He knew a time would soon come when she wouldn't be open to such signs of affection with her old father, but he would cherish them for however long it lasted.

The drive to Marta's apartment was filled with chatter from the backseat as Charlotte talked about her project, which was already at school, and the other assignments she would be able to show him.

"Hello, Benoit, Charlotte," Marta said as she got into the car a little while later. She turned around to more fully face Charlotte. "I love your dress, you look very pretty."

"Thank you, Marta," Charlotte said, with a wide grin that Benoit could see in the rear view mirror.

"Are you excited?" Marta asked, keeping herself sideways in the seat so she could talk to Charlotte.

Charlotte nodded, and launched into her explanation about her project and other assignments. He happily listened to it a second time knowing that these two people that he cared for so much cared about each other too.

Soon, they were pulling up to the school parking lot, which was already mostly full of cars. Charlotte was wiggling in her seat as he pulled the car to a stop and he felt some of that same excited energy.

"What are you going to show us first?" Marta asked as they got out of the car and walked towards the school.

Charlotte had positioned herself so that she stood between the two of them and could hold both of their hands. "I think my science fair project should be first," she said with a matter of fact nod. "That's the most important. We should start with that."

Marta nodded, her expression serious, although a smile fought at the corner of her lips. "I think that sounds like an excellent plan."

The school was bright and loud when they stepped inside. The lobby wasn't as crowded as he was sure the library and classrooms were, but there were still several families milling around the area.

"Where to, Charlotte?" he asked.

She dropped their hands to stride forward, confidently leading them down a hallway. Benoit shot an amused, but proud look at Marta, who smiled back and reached out for his hand. Her hand felt warm and comfortable in his and he never wanted to let go.

Charlotte stopped in front of a tri-fold board set up on a table in the library, gesturing to it proudly. "My project is about crystals made from salt, sugar and baking soda and how they compare to each other."

He had helped Charlotte with her project, being an extra pair of hands when needed, but Charlotte had been completely in the lead, and it showed as she gave them her presentation. She had been so excited about this project and he was so proud to stand and watch her talk about it now that it was completed. It felt a little like when he revealed who had committed the crime at the end of a case, with perhaps not as many dramatics.

Although she was still his daughter, he thought, as he watched her use actual jazz hands when talking about the results of her project.

"She is just like you," Marta whispered when Charlotte turned her back to grab something from the table.

He smiled even wider at that. Yes, he could be a little much sometimes, but he was delighted to watch her now and know that he'd had any sort of hand in shaping her personality.

"The end," she said with finality and a bow as Benoit and Marta clapped and complimented her presentation. With a beaming smile and a quick "thank you," she was grabbing their free hands and pulling them towards her classroom.

"Hello, Mrs. Turner," Charlotte said, a happy expression on her face as she greeted her teacher.

"Hello, Charlotte," Mrs. Turner said with a warm smile. She was an older woman, with close cropped, curly hair and a happy disposition. Charlotte loved her. "Will you introduce me to your guests?" she asked, with a knowing smile in Marta and Benoit's direction.

With a practiced seriousness that he knew came from lessons in class, Charlotte stood between her teacher and Benoit and Marta. "Mrs. Turner, this is my dad, Benoit Blanc, and his girlfriend, Marta Cabrera. Dad, Marta, this is my teacher Mrs. Turner."

Mrs. Turner shook both Benoit and Marta's hands, although they had all met previously. "I'm so glad you could both come," she said, gesturing over to Charlotte's desk. "Charlotte has done so wonderfully this year, and has a lot to show you."

Benoit had seen a lot of this work as some of it had come home, so Charlotte focused more on showing Marta. She knelt next to the desk, her attention solely on Charlotte and her work. Benoit knelt next to them, but couldn't help but look at Marta occasionally and bask in how attentive she was to his daughter.

The rest of the assignments went by quickly, and then they moved on to some activities set up by the different teachers. It was an exciting night, but he could tell that Charlotte was close to crashing. She went willingly after a few stern looks, and it wasn't long before they were home and she was in bed. Marta had come with them, planning on spending some time with Benoit before he drove her back home.

As he picked up after Charlotte in the living room, he looked at Marta. "Thank you for coming," he said, placing the toys in a bin in the corner of the room. "I know that wasn't the most exciting night out."

"Benoit," she said, walking closer to him, and placing a hand on his chest, "I love our dates where it's just the two of us, but I also love spending time with both you and Charlotte, and sharing in your lives. This is your life," she said, gesturing to the evidence of a child in his home, "and I want to be there for it. Not just the candlelit dinners out and the moonlit walks. I want all of it."

He stared at her for a moment. How he loved this woman. They hadn't told each other yet, and he wasn't sure exactly how she felt. He thought he had started to fall in love with her back when he first visited her office for her medical expertise. He had just been falling harder and harder every day since then. But he was willing to wait until she was ready.

"It's yours," he said, when he realized he had been lost in his thoughts and she was waiting for a response. "All of it."

With a smile as she placed a hand on his cheek, she leaned up to press a kiss to his lips. He pulled her closer to him, a hand sliding into her hair as the kiss deepened. Marta Cabrera had filled every part of his life, and he wouldn't want it any other way.


End file.
